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THE NEW TANNERTHURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 3THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 20182 519-853-1190 Come see us for all your Kitchen, Bath and Flooring renovation needs! 28 Main St. N. Acton www.atouchofclassacton.com Let us create a Beautiful Smile for You! with dentures from the BPS experts. • Full & Partial Dentures • Precision BPS® & Implant Retained Dentures • Repairs & Relines done in our In-House Lab Choose the denture that fits your lifestyle, present, past & future! 130 Mill St. E. Unit 103 Acton 519-853-0079www.actonhead2toe.com No Referral Necessary DE MELO CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS CENTRE Dr. Dave de Melo, Chiropractor Amanda Pickering, Reg. Massage Therapist 519-853-3460 DEMELOWELLNESS.COM • SAFE, GENTLE CHIROPRACTIC CARE • EMERGENCIES & WORKERS COMP ACCEPTED • NEW PATIENTS WELCOME 25 Main Street North, Acton Across from Giant Tiger Plaza By: Harry Rudolfs Fairly Lake was cre- ated in 1830 when the Adams Brothers dammed up Black Creek to cre- ate a mill pond so they could operate a grist and sawmill. The present dam was built in 1957 when the lake was used as a pri- mary source of water for the Beardmore Tannery until it closed in 1986. After Beardmore, the dam was left in place and the highwater levels were maintained on the 26-hectare wetland. How- ever, a study prepared for the Town by consult- ants Aquafor Beech Ltd., identified problems and improvements required to the existing dam's log jam design. Apparently, the dam is leaking water into the sub- soils and the outflow into Black Creek is inconsis- tent throughout the year. Furthermore, high levels of phosphorous are being discharged into the creek, potentially causing prob- lems for the brook trout that live downstream in the creek. To mitigate the leakage and keep the water level high in the pond, a coffer dam will be constructed up- stream of the current dam. Other repairs will include the replacement of stop logs, installation of a geosynthetic clay line and repairs to the south wingwall. According to Halton Hills' communications manager Alex Fuller, the Town will be initiating work on these issues this year by first obtaining the required permits. "But the actual construction likely won't start till next year." $370,000 has been allo- cated for this project and will be paid for by Halton Region. By: Harry Rudolfs Site works, including excavation for the new Tertiary Treatment Build- ing, is now underway at the Acton Wastewater Plant, according to Halton Region communication specialist Katherine Wood. She also reported that the construc- tion of the digester tank and building is completed and new equipment is ready for installation. As well, con- struction of the new sludge loading facility is finished and commissioning is underway. The projects should be fully completed by spring 2019. Similarly, Wood said that delivery and installation of new equipment at the Pros- pect Park Purification Plant should be completed this month. Commissioning of the equipment should be done by May. To the Editor, P.T. Barnum is credited with saying, "There's no such thing as bad publi- city." Along that same vain, we'd like to thank The New Tanner for their incredibly focussed coverage of our downtown. As your inter- views with Mike Albano and Dianne Gowland out- lined, Acton Downtown has been creating, developing and now executing on a strategic plan. This is a multifaceted plan which in- corporates new branding, a streetscape plan and a new website. The new branding will deliver a fresh start with a new look and feel that in- cludes a new logo which incorporates a design that is representative of our past, present and future. Along with that we'll be engaging new marketing initiatives that will foster a focus on health, wellness and community which are at the cornerstone of Ac- ton's Downtown. A new website will incorporate the new look and feel as well as provide additional functionality serving as a resource to our commun- ity, our businesses as well as those outside of our own town. Streetscaping is the third and final activity that we'll be executing on this year. We've received a re- sounding cheer from the public and businesses alike on the hanging flowers and planters. We've been working closely with a Town provided Landscape Architect to explore other beautification possibilities. This brings up a very important point. There are limitations. Funding is almost always a con- sideration during a large undertaking such as this. Where does the money come from, how much is there for us to use toward a plan of this magnitude? Even within the funding model, there are limitations on meeting specific criteria in order to qualify for the funding, and of course meeting those associated deadlines. That's been a very large part of what's been going on behind the scenes…where seemingly, "nothing's changed". An- other limitation, as with most community initia- tives is people power. That is, people to execute on the plan, the plethora of vol- unteers it takes to organize and execute on projects. Whether these BIA initi- ated projects are associated with a large strategic plan or community events such as the Winter Car- nival, Open Street-movie events, Canada Day (along with the Firefighters), Leathertown Festival and Trick-or-Treat. This leaves the 'elephant in the room'…vacant store fronts. Yes, there are some empty store-fronts. What's being done about that? The BIA and Economic De- velopment team continue to work together in partner- ship with property owners, retailers and potential new business owners. The BIA will be helping several new retailers with their Grand Opening celebration in the coming months. Please stay tuned, but more important- ly, please get downtown and check them out! While you're here drop into our existing businesses who are still here and providing great small town customer service for you and your family. In closing, regardless of printed word, whether it be newsprint or social media, Downtown Acton is open for business! Downtown Acton…You Gotta Shop Here! The Acton BIA Board of Directors Wastewater plant upgrades and purification plant expansion on schedule Dam repairs to start next yearLetters The views expressed in these published letters are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The New Tanner Publishing Ltd. Re: Downtown Acton--Boom or Bust?